


The Future is Bulletproof

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Cisco Ramon Needs A Hug, Crossing Timelines, Dreams and Nightmares, Episode: s03e19 The Once and Future Flash, Gen, Headaches & Migraines, Heart-to-Heart, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Introspection, Loss of Limbs, Minor Barry Allen/Iris West, Protective Barry Allen, Self Confidence Issues, Survivor Guilt, Visions in dreams, and I think he can see the future as well?? but that might just be a headcanon, like being able to see other timelines, we all know Cisco has powers that the show has just forgotten about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 03:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17399105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Barry finds Cisco alone in the Speed Lab and they end up having a conversation about the future and alternate timelines and worst kept secrets in the safety of each others company.(AKA Cisco knew all along that Killer Frost takes away his hands in Savitar's future and Barry ends up discussing the differences between the Cisco's he's met through the timeline and discovers that Cisco's abilities are more vast than he realized.)





	The Future is Bulletproof

**Author's Note:**

> I think we all know that the title is from an MCR song but it was the first thing that came to mind when I thought 'future'. There's a lot of mention about Dante and the powers the writers have just forgotten about so just go with me haha. Hope it's ok, I know the tags and the summary don't do it any justice but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I missed writing the flash so I just wanted to get something out as quickly as possible x hope you enjoy it x

Barry found him in the Speed Lab, sitting with his back to the wall, staring at his hands. "Hey man," Barry greeted gently as he walked in. "What're you doing in here?"  
  
"Thinking," Cisco replied quietly, running his hands together. "Just thinking."  
  
"We've all been looking for you for ages," Barry continued, slowly walking forwards until he sat next to Cisco. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
"The future." There was a heaviness in him that Barry had never seen before, an exhaustion that was seeping deep into his bones. "What might happen."  
  
Coughing, Barry tried to change the subject. "Well, none of us knows what the future holds, not even me, so, for now, we have nothing to worry about."  
  
As he went quiet, Cisco's face went blank and his eyes grew distant. "I can."  
  
Wincing at his stupidity, Barry rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, you know, the future isn't static. We proved that with Savitar." As Barry spoke there was a thought beating in the back of his head like a baseline: _does he know what she does?_  
  
"I know. I see all different futures, remember?" Cisco closed his open hand into a fist and methodically opened it. "And the past."  
  
"Is that why you're down here, alone?" Barry asked gently. "Have you been vibing about the future?"  
  
Exhausted, Cisco ran a hand down his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I have. In my dreams. It’s no fun waking up every night to at least one vibe of the past, present or future, let me tell you."  
  
"You still getting headaches?"  
  
"Every day, without fail."  
  
Sighing, Barry patted Cisco on the back in sympathy. "That sucks man. I wish there was some way I can help."  
  
"You know there's nothing you can do," Cisco said. But he was still staring at his hands and Barry was afraid, so deathly afraid, that he knew already. "But thanks for trying."  
  
Clearing his throat, Barry wished dearly to change the subject but he needed to know for sure if Cisco knew what happened to him in the future. "What did you vibe about last night?"  
  
"Oh, you know, the usual." Barry had never noticed before but there was such a tiredness to his friend that went way past simple exhaustion. He seemed much older than he was, wisened by experiences and trauma. "The car crash that killed Dante."  
  
"You see that?" Barry asked in surprise.  
  
"Yup."  
  
"That’s... a lot."  
  
Cisco didn't answer, just stared at his hands. Finally, he ran them over each other and shoved them in his pockets. "It sucks man. I can see everything that may ever happen to me, in any timeline, and it really bites."  
  
"What do you see...?" Barry tried hard not to be conspicuous but Cisco caught him staring at the hands in his pockets and he sighed.  
  
"Don’t worry, I already know what she does," Cisco returned bitterly, and Barry could see his hands clenching within his pockets. "I know she takes them. I know she makes me useless."  
  
For a moment they were alone in the universe, no words passing between them. The Speed Lab was vast and dark, obstacles shut down and lights turned off. They were alone on the small platform Cisco had built in the middle.  
  
"I’m... sorry I didn't tell you," Barry said finally. "When I met him in the future, I should have..."  
  
Snorting, Cisco shook his head. "I knew way before you went to the future dude." His words shocked Barry into silence and when he turned to look at him, Barry saw a new hardness in his friend's eyes. "Yeah, I know. I probably should have given you some warning, told you what to expect, but I didn’t think it mattered. It was either going to come true or not- I didn’t think there was any point in rushing it.”

“Does Cait know?” Barry felt his heart fluttering rapidly in his chest and there was something burning within him. Cisco didn’t seem mad about it- just bitter and resigned and oh so sad.

“What do you take me for, a moron?” Cisco scoffed, taking one hand from his pocket and running it through his hair.  It wasn’t shaking, Barry was pleased to note, but it was as if Cisco had thought about the situation many other occasions and had by now made peace with the idea. “Of course not. That kind of information… it would kill her. She’d hardly want to come near me again out of fear of hurting me.”

Barry shook his head. “You should have said something man. We could have helped you through it. Even though Savitar is dead and we changed the timeline, you can still talk to us about things that trouble you.”

For the first time in a long time, Cisco let out a deep, bitter chuckle that came straight from the depths of his chest and he turned to look at Barry with disbelief on his face. “The things that trouble me? Come on, Barry, you’re smarter than that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Barry demanded, instantly offended. “You don’t think that as our friend you can come to us when you need to vent?”

Cisco waved his arms about, desperately trying to keep his cool. “Listen man. Every night I see my brother die, not even because I was there, but because of this crazy new thing I can do. And you know what? I stand on that road and I watch the exact moment when metal meets metal. Do you know what a car crash sounds like Barry? The sound of metal melding into one and someone screaming from inside the big tin can?” Barry winced. “And you know what’s more? I know his name- the drunk driver who hit Dante. I know his name because I have his licence plate committed to memory and I searched him up. Do you know how hard it is to have this information and not do anything with it? So no, I don’t tell you guys anything, because there is so much that I could say that you guys would get sick of me soon enough.”

Regretting his words, Barry reached over and wrapped his arms around Cisco’s shoulders and he easily leant into the embrace, resting his head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry man. I guess it’s a hard pill to swallow to know you’re going through so much crap that we don’t even know about.”

“He screamed when it happened,” Cisco said and his voice was monotone. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Dante scream in fear in all my life, but he did when he saw the car coming towards him.” Barry tutted and squeezed Cisco’s shoulders tighter. “So I don’t tell you things, not because I don’t trust you or I don’t love you, but because I don’t want you to worry, and because I think I should be able to handle it on my own.”

Suddenly, a spark of confusion shot through Barry’s mind that formed a nagging question that he couldn’t shake no matter how hard he tried. “Uh, Cisco, if you can see things like the future and events you weren’t there for, could you also see into other… timelines?”

“I mean, you already know I can,” Cisco reached up and pushed the hair out of his face. “I knew that Doctor Well’s killed me even though you changed that timeline and reversed it. But yeah, I can see into them. I could see when you made Flashpoint but only after you told us about it. I’m still seeing what happened in Savitar’s future. I know all about it.”

“Damn man, that’s crazy,” Barry looked down at the top of his friend’s head, resting on his shoulder like it was the first time it had gotten a break all week. “Does that mean that there’s…?” Barry could hardly bring himself to finish his question but Cisco, who could read him like a book, realized it almost immediately.

Cisco chuckled without humour, dry and rough. “Yeah. There’s a timeline where Dante is still alive. And it kills me every time I have to see it.”

“You still don’t have much control over your vibes?”

“Not really,” Cisco shook his head. “When I’m awake, I can normally direct them and use them when I need them unless they take me by surprise, but really, they have more control over me than I do of them.” He sighed, detached and dejected. “Sometimes I dream about that other Cisco who was the CEO of his own company, and realize that I will never, in my wildest dreams be anywhere _close_ to that successful.”

“Well, that Cisco isn’t you, so you have nothing to worry about,” Barry reassured firmly. “I’d rather have you as my friend than that _Mr Ramon_.”

There was a moment of silence before Cisco spoke again, voice low and pitched to carry only to Barry’s ears. “I’m not exactly the same Cisco as when we met, am I?” Barry frowned but before he could inquire, Cisco already continued speaking. “I mean, everything changed once you came back from Flashpoint. Caitlin and I got powers. Wally and Jesse became speedsters. Random people that had powers in Flashpoint got them again in this timeline. Dante died…” Barry winced but Cisco powered on. “I mean, I don’t know how I’ve changed, not really, but I know that I must have. That’s the only possibility that makes even an inkling of sense.”

“Well…” Barry floundered for words, still trying to make sense of the profound words his friend had just drooped on him like an atomic bomb. “If it makes you feel any better, I like this Cisco more than the other one. I feel like I know you just a little bit more.”

“What was I like?” Cisco asked instead of pointing out the obvious rebuttal. “Before Flashpoint, I mean. I remember some of it, but everything that happened with the timeline… this new one you made feels stronger than the original one.”

Barry took a moment to think of an appropriate answer and Cisco silently gave him that time. “You’re sadder now, I think,” Barry said, almost into the ether and he felt Cisco stiffen against him, obviously not expecting such an answer. “And I think now you’re more… secretive. You’re less likely to tell us when something was bothering you than before. And you have less self-confidence. Before you could build anything and be so proud of what you created, mourning when they get even a scratch on their paint job, but now you’re… less confident in what you can create and the value you bring to the team, I think.” Barry shrugged, careful not to jostle Cisco on his shoulder. “I don’t know if it’s because of Dante dying or a side-effect from the headaches your powers give you, but it’s only subtle differences that I haven’t really been able to explain.”

The strained laugh that seemed to vibrate through Barry’s body seemed foreign to his ears, especially coming from Cisco. “I’m sure you’d rather have the other guy back instead of dealing with me for the rest of our days.”

“Nah,” Barry said instantly, not even surprised by how little he had to think about the answer. “I like you better anyway. Maybe we could be closer, sure, but you’re still a great guy and you’re only getting better with each day that passes. So no- I wouldn’t change you for the world. Not even for another version of yourself.”

Before Cisco could reply, Iris’ voice echoed loudly through the loudspeaker. “Barry? Did you find Cisco yet?” Her voice sounded exasperated and irritated, even though the static of the megaphone and Cisco inwardly winced.

“Yeah, we’re on our way to the Cortex now,” Barry called out, satisfied that his reply had been understood, and rose from the seat. He offered Cisco a hand up which his friend gratefully took. “We were talking for so long I completely forgot why I was sent to find you in the first place.”

“I hope you weren’t looking for too long.” Cisco apologised, wiping his hands on his pants and flexing his fingers as if revelling in the feeling of having them still attached to his body. “Is it important? Give me a rundown.”

Barry shook his head. “Ralph just wanted to give us a briefing on the plan he cooked up. He didn’t want to do it until we were all together though, so he’s been pacing the Cortex for an hour.”

“Serves him right for being an impatient prick.” Cisco snorted as he made his way to the exit, but Barry’s hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. “Was that too cruel?”

“No, not at all, it’s pretty true.” Barry looped his arms around Cisco’s shoulders as they walked together out the door of the Speed Lab and towards the Cortex. “I just wanted to let you know that the reason you’re irreplaceable is because you’re not named _Doctor Harrison Wells_.”

Everything- all of it- was worth it to see the beaming grin on Cisco’s face and the bright laughter that seemed to make Barry’s heart grow a couple more sizes.

**Author's Note:**

> The ending MIGHT be a little confusing with the Harry line but really, every season they've had a new Harrison Wells and I thought it would be a fun way for the characters to recognise that haha. I know it's a little out there but I gave it a go. Hope it's alright xx


End file.
